Author Archives: JMN

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About JMN

I live in Texas and devote much of my time to easel painting on an amateur basis. I stream a lot of music, mostly jazz, throughout the day. I like to read and memorize poetry.

They Swoop to Conquer

Posted on January 6, 2026 by JMN

The Gods:Lord Elon of X. Mighty Mark of Meta. Sundering Sundar of Alphabet. Looming Larry of Oracle. Jacked Jeff of Amazon. Titanic Tim of Apple The Chorus:Thiel, Andreessen, Ramaswamy The Jesters:Rogan, Hannity, Carlson The Company:MAGA The Play:“Narcissus at Davos” (c) … Continue reading →

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‘A Hardedheaded Little Nobody With a Dream’

Posted on January 4, 2026 by JMN

“I never worry when I ride.” (Diane Crump, age 21) Many male officials considered women to lack the strength and composure to control a thoroughbred as it galloped along at 40 miles an hour. It was an era in which … Continue reading →

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Nostalgia, or Afterglow Foretold

Posted on January 4, 2026 by JMN

Greetings, Heart of Loia! Brylcreem, a little dab’ll do ya,Brylcreem, ya’ll look so debonair.Brylcreem, the gals will pursue ya.Just rub a little of it in yer hair! Breaking the 4th Wall for a MomentIn my experience, being followed (subscribed) here … Continue reading →

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Revolutionary January: No-Shots-Fired

Posted on January 1, 2026 by JMN

“As U.S. Guns Pour Into Canada, the Bodies Pile Up” (New York Times headline on Dec. 21, 2025) Can’t remember where, but recently I read that a functioning state must have a “monopoly on violence.” At first I found it … Continue reading →

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Of the 40 ‘Best’ Illustrations, 4 Are Good

Posted on December 29, 2025 by JMN

Sadly, many of the New York Times’s “best” Illustrations of 2025 are animated, removing them from consideration. Many others are merely garish, or negligible in diverse ways. Not a good year for illustration, but for the craver of artful graphics … Continue reading →

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Connections to the ‘More-Than-Human World’

Posted on December 25, 2025 by JMN

“All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.” (Julian of Norwich) Julian of Norwich, a contemporary of Chaucer, is credited with doing for prose what Chaucer did for poetry: Writing in … Continue reading →

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‘Earrings for a Giraffe’

Posted on December 24, 2025 by JMN

In 1948, American artist Ruth Asawa (d. 2013, age 87) took classes at Black Mountain College in North Carolina with the dancer Merce Cunningham. Her mentor there was the architect Buckminster Fuller. … Such works were described dismissively by one … Continue reading →

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Writing Not Sterling, But Some Nice Painting

Posted on December 22, 2025 by JMN

Reflection on an article about painter Aubrey Williams that could use some editing. The article is informative about circumstances of Williams’s life, but light on useful appraisal of his art. Continue reading →

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‘Beginnings Are the Most Difficult’

Posted on December 20, 2025 by JMN

James Grashow uses cardboard as a prime material for creating his sculptures. Continue reading →

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Beauford Delaney: ‘A Yearning for Ornament’

Posted on December 18, 2025 by JMN

It leaves more room to follow what’s actually happening on the paper. … Though he drew them with confidence and care, you can see him yearning to ornament and exalt his subjects rather than just transcribe them. … The pulsing … Continue reading →

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